God of salt and starting lines
hear me
You whose war-drums sound through our soles
rhythmless on rubber
a thousand thousand beats from the gun
Watch over me
your steel cords through my ankles and knees,
your great fist around my heart
your smell
of black powder in my lungs
You whose lungs are uncut by cold
though we exhale
like locomotives, grant my thousand prayers
May my
shoes stay tied my gut settled needling in my calf
be nothing
Keep the salt from my eyes take my salt
as sacrifice
don't let my ragged breaths tear my lungs
but let the girls
with the rolled up shorts see you in me
your long stride
your lean around the curves, muscles pressing
against skin